Area Fidelity and Intra-field Distribution of Honey Bees 1 During the Pollination of Onions

Abstract

The intra-field movement of individual honey bees was determined in a hybrid seed onion (Allium cepa L.) field. Foraging honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) were captured and tagged with numbered ferrous metal discs that were recovered on subsequent foraging trips by magnets attached to umbels distributed throughout the field. The recovered tags revealed that most bees tended to forage near the initial capture locations but some foraged throughout the field. Bees moved freely between sterile and fertile lines.